Selective orienting button positioning machine



April 29, 1952 F. W. TROSKE SELECTIVE ORIENTING BUTTON POSITIONING MACHINE Filed May 11, 1951 V INVENTQ'R Frederick W Tb-o ske ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 29, 1952 2,595,206 SELECTIVE ORIENTING BUTTON POSITIONING MACHINE Frederick W. Troske, Waterbury, Conn., assignor a to Scovill Manufacturing Company, Waterbury, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application May 11, 1951, Serial No. 225,723

8 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a selective orienting mechanism on a button attaching machine. More particularly it relates to-a mechanism for selectively orienting buttons or the like having a design on their top and means on the button bearing a definite relation to the design and adapted for engagement with the orienting means on the button attaching mechanism, and constitutes an improvement upon the orienting button positioning machine disclosed in the patents to Huelster, No. 2,248,087, dated July 8, 1941, and to Karbus, No. 2,301,547, dated November 10, 1942.

In the mechanism of the above mentioned patents the buttons to be oriented are rotated upon their axes at an orienting station where three separate locating members are provided which are selectively operated, the separate loeating members being either manually or automatically operable in any desired sequence or order depending upon the number and relation ship oithe buttons to the garment to which they are to be attached. I

In the construction of the above patents there is provided a movable slide member in which are carried independently operated locating members. Also the construction of these patents required several independent elements to operate the locating members such as springs, sliding cams and control means exterior of the slide member, all of which parts were of a rather delicate nature, difficult to make and assemble, and frequently wore out in a short time or broke to the detriment of the machine production. It is one of the objects of this invention to elim nate the numerous small parts and make one rotary cam unit mounted in the slide member itself and serving to accomplish all the functions of the above mentioned several parts.

A'further object is to incorporate the control means for the selector members in the slide member itself so that it will be in a more convenient position to make the manual adjustments in setting up the orienting machine for its initial operation. This construction also places the control means in a more protected position, and not subject to the hazardsof the control mechanism placed in an exposed position as was the case inprior constructions. r

The improvements constituting the present invention will be better understood from the detailed description which follows, when considered in connect on with the accompanying drawings wherein I have shown said improvements in combination with a machine of the 2 a general type shown in the Huelster and Karbus patents mentioned above, and wherein,

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view with portions broken away of a button attaching machine embodying my improvements.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the slide and control means shown in Fig. 1, with parts of the machine in section. L

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken through the slider member.

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view through one end of the selector control member, the view taken along theline 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same taken along the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view of the slider member, the view taken along the line 6-6 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 7 is another transverse sectional view of the slider member, the view taken along the line 1-4 of Fig. 3. r Fig. 8 is a perspective View of the selector cam unit.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of one type of button adapted for orientation with the mechanism of my invention, and

Fig. 10 is a composite top plan view of the three locating arms by means of which the but tons are selectively oriented.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral l5 indicates the standard or head of a button attaching machine having attached thereto a main bracket l6 which carries a pair of undercut guides I! and [8 which, with the main bracket, provide a raceway I9 down which buttons or the like may move by gravity to an orienting station and from there be transferred to a button attaching station 20. The main bracket and the guides carriedthereby adjacent their lower ends are curved to lead into the orienting station wherein a button will be supported with its head in a substantially horizontal plane.

Extending across the raceway at an appropriate point therein is any form of cutoff de'v'ice adapted to deliver one button at a time to the orienting station, said cut-off device being herein shown asan oscillatable disc 2|. To oscillate the disc it is provided with a stud 23 to which is connected one end of a link 24,'the other end ofwhich is connected to a rock lever 25. For operating the rock lever there is provided a bell-crank lever 26 pivoted to the'head at 21, one end of said lever bearing upon' the free end of the rock lever 25 and the other end carrying amadjustable stud 26a throughwhich movement is imparted to the bell-crank lever 26 by an arm or lever 21a receiving its motion from drive mechanism of the machine and operated in synchronism with the button setting tools. The button to be oriented is transversed from the orienting station to the setting station by a pusher slide 28..

The orienting station which is at the bottom of the raceway is defined by rotatable discs 29 and 3!] having peripheral grooves therein which are normally spaced apart a distance slightly less than the diameter of the head of a button B such as shown in Fig. 9 and which is to be oriented so that the peripheries of said discs may contact the periphery of said button head to rotate the button about its axis. Preferably the disc 29 is positively driven. To accomplish this said disc is mounted on a stud 3| which has mounted thereon a miter-gear 32 in mesh with a complemental miter-gear 33 mounted on a stud which-carries a pinion 34, which latter is in mesh with a sector gear 35 carried on one end of a lever 36 oscillated by an operating cam (not shown).

For orienting the button B upon reaching the orienting station, the button must be rotated about its axis and to provide at least three points of engagement in triangular arrangement for engaging the periphery of the button head, there is provided a third rotatable disc 31 which is carried. at the forward end of the pusher slide 28. In this connection it may be stated that the buttons or the like which may be oriented with the present mechanism have engagement means thereon which bear a definite relation to the design on the: top of the button. These engagement means may be of various types and,

' as illustrated in Fig. 9 the engagement means is in the form of a tab b extending inwardly from the end of the shell cap of the button "B beneath the head thereof.

The present invention contemplates orienting such buttons as described above or fastener devices of similar construction in any one of a number, preferably three, predetermined positions at the orienting station. These positions may be described as that wherein the design is in upright position when viewed from the front of the machine, wherein the design is disposed 90 to the left of the upright position,

and wherein the design is disposed 90 to the right of the upright position.

To selectively orient the buttons in any one of the various predetermined positions, a separate locating means is provided for each position, and means are provided for selectively operating the locating means. As herein disclosed in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the locating means which are designed for orienting buttons of the type shown in Fig. 9 are in the form of three elongated members or locating fingers 38, 39 and 40, which are pivotally mounted in side by side relation within the pusher slide 28 upon a common pivot pin 4|, and each of said fingers is normally pivoted in a clockwise direction as seen in Fig. 3 by individual coil springs 4 so that the button engaging forked ends thereof will be urged into button engaging and orienting position. It will be noted from an inspec- 'tion of Fig. that the locating fingers 38,

39 and 40, at their button engaging ends are of different configuration. The button engaging end of the middle finger 39 has a forked end or recess 39a extending longitudinally of said finger and adapted to engage the tab 1) earn plate 6| attached to the discharge end of ,the tracks l8 and I9.

on the button shown in Fig. 9 so as to orient the button with the design or indicia thereon in upright position suitable to be set on front or back of a garment; the right. finger 38 has at its button engaging end a recess 3822, the side walls of which extend at right angles to the longitudinal direction of the finger and is adapted to orient a button with the design offset 90 from the upright in a counter-clockwise direction suitable for setting on the right side of a garment; and the left finger 40 at the button engaging end thereof is provided with a recess We, the walls of which are disposed at right angles to the longitudinal direction of said finger and. is adapted to orient a button with the design disposed 90 fromthe upright in a clockwise direction suitable for setting on the left side of a garment. Each of the fingers 38, 39 and 48 are provided on the inner ends with an integral extension or cam follower 38b, 39b and -22, the function of which will presently appear.

Also mounted within the pusher slide 28 is a selector cam unit 45 such as shown in Fig. 8. This unit is provided with a trunnion 45 that rotates in the rear side wall of the pusher slide 28 and is also provided with a larger barrel portion 41 that rotates in the opposite front wall of said pusher slide 28. Between these two pivot portions are formed three cams 48, 49 and 5!!- that cooperate respectively with the. finger extension 33b, 39b and 48b for the selective operation of the fingers 38, 39 and 48.

The selector cam unit 45 is provided with an integral ratchet wheel 5| that is located outside the front wall of the pusher 28, and forwardly of the ratchet wheel is an integral knurled knob 52 that may be used for manually adjusting the unit. A beveled face. 53 is provided on the forward surface of the ratchet wheel 5| on which is imprinted the indicia F, L, and R, that designate the positions that the button is to be set upon a garment indicating front, left and right respectively. To hold the selector unit in selected position the barrel portion 41 is provided with a series of spot recesses 54 that are adapted to be engaged by a detent pin 55 slidablymounted in a longitudinal bore 56 provided in the front wall of the slide 28. This detent pin 55 is urged against barrel portion 41 and recesses 54 under the influence of a coiled spring 51, the tension of which may be controlled by a set screw 58 and lock nut 59 (see Fig. 1).

A release pin 60 is vertically mounted in the forward end of the pusher slide 28 and is provided with a cross bar 600. on its inner end that extends across the upper edges of the three fingers 3B, 39 and 40, as best shown in Figs. 3 and 6. It will be observed from Fig. 3 that the selector fingers are only in operable button engaging position when their forward ends are in uppermost position by reason of the springs 42 pivoting said fingers in clockwise direction about the pivot pin 4! after the particular cam of the cam unit 45 has rotated out of contact with its respective finger extension or follower. When the slide 28 is advanced to its foremost position the particular finger set for button engaging position will be released from the button by reason of the fact that the release pin 60 abuts -against a The pusher slide 28 is provided with a rearwardly formed projection 28a that is slidably from the head I of the machine. The slide projection 28;; is connected to the lever 21a previouslymentioned in connection with lever 26 and from which the pusher slide 28 derives its reciprocating motion in synchronism with the setting mechanism. I

In order to operate the selector fingers each time the pusher slide isreciprocated, provision is made of a pawl support block 63 attached to the forward face of the bracket 62 as by screws 64, An elongated pawl 65 is pivotally mounted on the support blockas at 66 and'has a detent 65a on its forward end positioned in line with the ratchet wheel 5| of the pusher slide; The elongated pawl 65 is normally tensioned in a counterclockwise direction about the pivot 66 as by means'of a coil spring 61 urging the adjacent end of the pawl upwardly against a cam wheel 68eccentrically formed on a shaft 69 rotatable in block 63. A knurled.- knob 18 is provided on shaft 69 forwardly of the cam wheel 68 for purposes of adjusting the cam wheel 68. In "normalposition the low face of the cam wheel 68 will be in engagement with the pawl 65 which allows detent 65a to be positioned in line with the ratchet wheel 6|. However, when it is desired to release the pawl 65 from the ratchet wheel 5| the cam wheel 68 may be rotated 180 so that its high face will be positioned against said pawl 65. The shaft 69 on which the cam wheel is mounted may be selectively held in high and low positions by reason of the fact that the shaft 69 is provided with opposed flats index it one position to establish the proper relationship of the cams 4s, as, so to the locating fingers 38, 39, 40 to register the next-in 'order 5hutton. In the return niovementof the Jslide' 28 station. In this position one of the fingers-will against which a stiif leaf spring 12 may be engaged, which spring is secured to the upper face of the block 63 as by a screw 13 (see Fig. 4).

Operations In the operation of the machine, the number of buttons that are to be set upon the garment and their particular orientation relative to the garment .is controlled entirely by the cam control unit 45 and as determined by the number of teeth in the ratchet wheel 5| and the particular shape ofthe cams 48, 49 and 50. In the structure as illustrated the mechanism is designed to selector unit 45 is marked with four F's, two Us "and two Rs. four F's .will take care of the two buttons set It is to be understood thatythe on the bib of the garment and the two set on the rear of the garment as these buttons require the same orientation. In setting of the machine for'the above button setting sequence the. knob 52 will be normally turned to a positionwhere the third F on the dial will be uppermost whereupon the machine may be started;

In regard to the coordinated functioning of the machine it may be stated that at the beginning of any button setting operation, the pusher slide 28 is in an advanced position; that is, in a position where the button delivery end of the slide 28 is at the setting station 20- of the maehine and has delivered a button into the holding jaws of the machine.

Whenls'the machine is started the slide 28' is moved to the right leaving the button at the setting station and the slide continues to the limit of its right stroke. During this right motion the detent 65a on the pawl 65 will engage one of the teeth of the ratchet wheel 5| and aging end raised.

be ready to receive a button from the 'end of the tracks I! and I8 and? the button'here rotated to the selected position-as determined by the particular finger that will have its button en- Rotation of the button at the orienting station is effected by discs 29; 30 and 31, the latter being on the pusher slide 28 and'comes into operation when the pusher slide reaches the orienting station, the 'rbtation being -efiected through the operation ofjthe gear sector 35, the pinion 34 and the miter;g'ears 33 and 32; After the button has been oriented the button is transferred to the setting station 20, the button receiving portion of which is located slightly 'removed from the orienting station and is adapted to receive a button in the same relationship to the parts of the mechanism which the oriented button occupies at the orienting station except for the change in position'of the button due to shifting it from the orienting to setting station.

In order to move the button from the orienting station to the setting station without disturbing the special relationshingset forth, the friction disc 30 is made yieldable. To accomplish this the disc 30, which is an idler, is carried by a slide 92 which is urged inwardly toward the orienting station by a resilient bracket 93 having bearing engagement with-the outer end of the slide-92 by a spring 94 ---rnounted on athreaded stud 95 which carries an adjusting nut 96' (see Fig. 2).

Just prior to the time that the pusher 28 reaches the setting station the release pin 60 will encounter the cam fplate 6| and depress the cross bar 600; and consequently depress the forward end of the selectqif fork which happens to be in operation so that it: will clear the button permitting the starting' stroke of the pusher slide 28 to the right WithQllt interfering with the button carried to and left at the setting station.

by merely turning. th'e'th'umb knob 10 on the support block 63 until the hi h, Point otthejcain 68 contacts the pawl 65 and holds its detente'n'd 65a in elevated position so as to clear the teeth of the ratchet wheel 5| of the selector unit. The knob 52 of the controlunit 45 may be turned to the desired position and there retained for a like orientation of all the buttons to be set upon an order of garmentstg-QTo change the machine to a plural orientation of buttons it is only necessary to turn the knob 10 so that low point of the cam 68 will contact pawl 65.

From the foregoing detailed description it will be appreciated that the invention is susceptible 7 Q no ina ion. and a ge ithin h t nse erisiricer-ins k l nd, I; there e. d not sh. o e limi d. to the d t s on ru i n h rein di cl sed. sin e. h se ma b varied hin e of a number of predetermined oriented positions, the combination of a single selector member rotatably mounted on said movable member, means on said selector member controlling the operative and inoperative positions of the locating members, and a control member mounted in the path ofsaid selector member and having means cooperating therewith to index said selector member upon one directional movement of said movable member.

2. A button positioning mechanism according to claim 1,. wherein the selector member on the movable member includes three cams arranged individually in line with each of said locating members.

3. In a button positioning mechanism for buttons or the like having engagement means thereon, means adapted to periodically receive and support a button for rotation about. its axis, "means for rotating the button about its axis while insaid receiving means, a slide member having pivotally mounted thereon a plurality of locating members each adapted to engage the ngagement means on the. button during rotation thereof to stop rotation of the button in any one of a numberof predetermined oriented positions, the combinationof springs acting on said locating members tending to bias them into button engaging position, a single selector member comprising a" rotatable shaft transversely mounted on said slide member, individual cam elements integral on said shaft and operatively engaged with each of said locator members to normally hold said members A in inoperative position, a ratchet wheel on said shaft, and a spring actuated pawl engaging said ratchet wheel upon the rearward stroke of said slide member to register the selector member in predetermining the setting of the next-in-order button.

; 4. A button positioning mechanism. according to claim 3 wherein means is provided for maintaining said pawl out of engagement with said "ratchet wheel to predetermine a single setting of the oriented buttons.

5. A button positioning mechanism according to claim 3 wherein means is provided for releasably holding the selector member in indexed posi' tion. r

a but os t on n meghanlsm e h ttons or the like having engagementmean thereon, means adapted to periodically. receive and support a button for rotation about its; axis, means for rotating the button about its axis, while. in said receiving means, a movable member having pivotallyv mounted thereon a plurality of locating members each adapted to engage the engagement means onthe button during rotation thereof to stop rotation ofthe buttonany one of a, number of predetermined oriented positions, the combination of springs acting individualiy on said locating members tending to. bias them into button engaging position, a selector. unit rotatably mounted on said movable member, said unit having individual cam elements located in line with each of said locator members and adapted to normally hold said locator members in inoperative position, said unit also having as, an integral part thereof a ratchet wheel, an index dial and a manually controlled knob, and a spring-tensioned pawl adapted to engage said ratchetwheel and index it a single tooth upon each rearward stroke of said movable member to predetermine the next-in-order button to be set in said machine.

7. A button positioning mechanism according to claim 6 wherein means is provided to, render the spring-tensioned pawl inoperative and outof engagement with the ratchet wheel so that, a common orientation of buttons is set by the machine.

8. In a button positioning mechanism for buttons or the like having engagement means thereon, means adapted to periodically receive, and support a button for rotation about its axis, means for rotating th button about its axis while in said receiving means, a movable member having pivotally mounted thereon a plurality of locating members each adapted to engage the engagement means on the button duringrotation thereof to stop rotation of the button in any one of a number of predetermined oriented positions,

the combination of springs acting individually on said locating members tending to bias them into button engaging position, a selector unit rotatably mounted on said movable member, said unit having individual cam elements located in line with each of said locator members and adapted to normally hold said locator members in inoperative position, said unit also having as an integral part thereof a ratchet wheel, an index dial and a manually controlled knob, a spring-tensioned pawl adapted to engage said ratchet wheel and index it a single tooth upon each rearward stroke of said movable member, and a cam-controlled element mounted on said movable member having means to engage said locator members to move the registering end out of its button engaging portion out of contact with the button when said button has been delivered to the s tting station.

FREDERICK W. TROSKE.

No references cited. 

